SNL star Baldwin supports Owen Hart Foundation
Famed actor and Saturday Night Live (SNL) megastar Alec Baldwin recently wowed a packed house at the Jubilee Auditorium when he took the stage with event moderator and Canadian sitcom comedian Andrew Phung of Kim’s Convenience and The Beaverton fame.
Baldwin performed in Calgary in support of The Owen Hart Foundation, which has raised more than $4 million and is celebrating its 19th anniversary. Billed as “An evening with Alec Baldwin,” the night was just that as Baldwin took guests on a stroll down memory lane of his acting career.
Baldwin highlighted his most recent work on SNL, which has earned him worldwide acclaim and landed the actor an Emmy for his role as POTUS Donald Trump. Much to the delight of the captivated Calgary audience, Baldwin intermittently slipped in and out his Trump impersonation throughout the evening. Baldwin was also very pleasantly surprised when Martha Hart’s son, artist Oje Hart, presented the star with a drawing he had done of Alec as Trump. Martha Hart, founder and director of the foundation, also enchanted the audience with an entertaining introduction. She thanked Baldwin for donating his fee back to the foundation, meanwhile poking lighthearted fun at Baldwin’s temperamental battles of late, which had the crowd roaring with laughter. Hart also described the foundation’s long history of charitable work in providing scholarships and housing to low-income families as well as its global humanitarian work. She also announced two new causes the foundation is championing this year thanks to her children. It will focus on animal rights, due to her daughter Athena’s love of animals, and human rights, as her son Oje is completing his final year of law school in England and plans to make human rights his primary focus.
Kudos to headline sponsor Maclin Ford and VIP reception sponsor Canadian Western Bank as well as the many other event and online auction sponsors for stepping up. Guests in attendance included Owen Hart Foundation committee members Barb Simic, Ashid Bahl, Virginia Xavier and Tammi Christopher; online auction sponsor WestJet’s Jereme Kincaid; Shoe Muse’s Ambra Hudson; Collector’s Art Gallery’s Romana Kraft; Canadian Paralympian Patrick Jarvis with his wife, Lisa, from Air Canada; Trapped Escape Room Experience’s Kelly Patterson with Darcy Anderson; Pipella Law’s Tara Pipella, Kimber Pipella, Lucille Pipella and Del Manhas; event producers Dave Howard and Lisa McCann of The Event Group; the parents of Humboldt Broncos hockey team survivor Ryan Straschnitzki; Canadian veterans whom Hart honours every year with a special invite; and others pictured.
Baldwin now joins the impressive list of performers who have been featured at past Owen Hart Foundation events including Robin Williams, Bob Newhart, Elvis Costello, Jerry Seinfeld, Ringo Starr, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Russell Brand, Dane Cook, Howie Mandel, Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka and Sarah McLachlan, to name but a few.